There's Magic in the Colors
by suzie2b
Summary: Charley receives something from home that she remembers as magic.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **There's Magic in the Colors**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **Tully walked up the stairs and started towards the apartment. There were two boxes outside the door. One for him from his mother and one for Charley from her Aunt Emily. He smiled as he picked them up as he went inside and set them on the table. He opened the one addressed to him and found a tin of cookies, socks, newspapers from his hometown, and, of course, letters. Tully sat down and opened the letters and read each as he ate a couple of cookies. He missed home and his family. The letters from his mom, Katy, and Beth were coveted by him.**

 **A short time later Charley walked in from a morning of making deliveries and greeted him with a smile. "Been here long?"**

 **Tully glanced at his watch. "About a half hour." He went to her and pulled her up into a kiss, then grinned and said, "Hi."**

 **Charley ran her tongue over her lips with a smile. "Hmm, someone's got peanut butter cookies." She snagged one out of the tin. "How's things back home?"**

" **Good. Crops are doing well, everyone's healthy and happy. Katy and Beth sent their school pictures."**

 **Charley looked at the pictures Tully held. "They are growing up so fast. We'll put them in frames on the dresser."**

 **Tully looked at his sisters one last time and smiled before setting the pictures on the table. "So who delivered the packages?"**

 **Charley went into the closet to put her satchel away. "I stopped to check for mail on my way to work and was given those. I couldn't carry them while I was making deliveries, so I said I'd come back for them." She came out and said, "When I stopped to pick 'em up on my way home, the corporal told me he had them delivered." Tully took another cookie and Charley said, "You're going to spoil your appetite."**

" **I'm hungry." Tully smiled at her as he took a bite, then said, "You gonna open yours?"**

 **Charley smiled as she unwrapped the box. Inside she found socks, two bottles each of her favorite shampoo and lotion, a tin of chocolate chip cookies, and, to her surprise, three coloring books along with a set of colored pencils. Charley giggled softly as she opened the letter from her Aunt Emily.**

 **Tully opened the tin and snatched up a cookie before Charley could protest. He looked at the books and pencils curiously as she said, "In my last letter I mentioned I was having trouble relaxing at times. Aunt Em remembered how when I was little I could sit for hours and color. She says it seemed to have a calming effect on me and I would usually end up falling asleep. So she thought I could use these. She says she sent the pencils because she was afraid crayons would melt in the desert heat."**

 **Tully thumbed through one of the books. "I used to sit and color with my sisters. Then I discovered girls and kinda lost interest in coloring books."**

 **Charley laughed and swatted his hand when he reached for another cookie. She put the lids on both tins and put them on the shelf above the table. "We'd better go get you some lunch."**

 **###############################**

 **A few days later…**

 **It was well after dark when Tully finally got home. He, Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch had a run-in with a German scout column while out on patrol. It had been touch-and-go after a tank shell hit the ground a little too close to Hitch's jeep and flipped it onto its side, throwing him and Troy out. Luckily, other than a few scrapes and bruises, they weren't injured, but the jeep's gas tank was hit by shrapnel and caught on fire. There were a few tense minutes of wild gunfire before Tully could circle around to pick up Troy and Hitch, and then get them all out of there. They made it back to base, then had a lengthy meeting with Captain Boggs before being dismissed.**

 **Tully walked into the apartment and closed the door with a tired sigh. "You home, Charley?"**

 **Her voice came from the closet. "In here. Was beginning to wonder if you were coming home tonight."**

 **Tully set his helmet on the table as he crossed the room and found Charley standing on a chair in her robe changing the lightbulb. "You know you really shouldn't use a chair to do that."**

 **Charley pulled the chain and the light came on. "Ta-da!" She smiled and said, "Have you ever seen a stepladder in this apartment?"**

" **Guess I'll have to see about getting one." Tully pulled the chain and the light went off. Then he took his wife by the waist and lifted her into his arms.**

 **As he began to lower her, Charley put her legs around Tully's waist and her arms around his neck. "You look like you've had a long day."**

 **Tully nodded. "Lost a jeep to a German patrol."**

" **Everyone okay?"**

 **Not wanting her to know what a close call they'd had, Tully simply said, "Yeah." He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her, then smiled. "Hi." Then he nuzzled her neck and said, "You smell so good."**

 **Charley giggled. "Thanks, but I haven't showered yet. I just got changed when that light went out."**

 **Tully pulled back and looked at her. "You always smell good." His next kiss was hard and passionate.**

 **When they finally came up for air, Charley said, "How 'bout you get undressed and join me in the shower?" When he grinned, she gave him a saucy smile. "I'll meet you there. Don't keep me waiting."**

 **Tully put her down and was out of his jacket and shirt before Charley could grab towels and get out the door with key in hand.**

 **A little later, after the shower, their love making continued in bed until they were pleasantly exhausted. They fell asleep in each other's arms.**

 **Two hours later, Tully was wide awake. He could feel Charley's chest rise and fall against him as she slept with her head on his shoulder. Each soft breath tickled the hairs on his chest.**

 **Tully laid there playing with a lock of Charley's hair, wondering why he was suddenly awake. He normally slept very well when he was home with his wife next to him. It wasn't like he wasn't tired. Was it the fact that Troy and Hitch could've easily been killed that afternoon? Tully didn't usually dwell on those things too much, but something had him all tensed up.**

 **Finally, with a sigh, he kissed the top of Charley's head and gently moved her off his shoulder. She muttered softly, but rolled over and went back to sleep. Tully got up and put his boxers on before he went to the window. He opened the shutters and looked out at the pale blue glow the full moon was casting on everything.**

 **Tully stood there for several minutes, thinking mostly of Charley. He also thought about his family in Kentucky. Then he remembered the newspapers his mother had included in her latest package. Maybe reading would relax him.**

 **Not wanting to chance waking Charley by turning on a light, Tully closed the shutters, picked up the flashlight that was always on the dresser, and went into the closet. He went to the low shelf where he kept his newspapers from home, always organized by date. Tully smiled when the flashlight's beam revealed the coloring books and pencils sitting next to the papers. Then he thought about what Charley's Aunt Emily had said in her letter—"a calming effect."**

 **###############################**

 **Charley awoke before the alarm. After carefully climbing over her sleeping husband, she turned it off. She knew that after the rough day he, Troy, Moffitt, and Hitch had the day before, they wouldn't be expected to go out again for at least twenty-four hours. It would take at least that long to get another jeep ready anyway. Charley slipped into her robe and quietly went out the door to go use the bathroom.**

 **When she returned, Charley smiled when she saw that Tully was still sleeping peacefully. After opening the shutters to let some light in, she went into the closet and quickly dressed. She had just sat down to put on her boots when she noticed one of the coloring books, pencils, and flashlight on the table. She didn't remember getting them out of the closet. Charley opened the book and looked at the first page. It was a scene of a field of flowers, with a barn and horses in the background … and it had all been nicely colored. She smiled and looked across the room at Tully. Then she pulled on her boots, got her satchel and left to get breakfast before she went to work.**

 **It was nearly noon when Charley left headquarters. She was finished with her deliveries and was wondering if she could locate Tully so they could have lunch together. The next thing she knew there were arms around her from behind and a kiss on her cheek. Charley squeaked with surprise and turned in Tully's arms to look at him. She gave him a smile and said, "Why Private Pettigrew, you know fraternizing is against the rules."**

 **Tully chuckled. "Well, Mrs. Pettigrew … what do you intend to do about it?"**

 **Charley kissed him quickly on the lips and whispered, "I won't tell if you won't."**

" **It's a deal. Want some lunch?"**

" **You read my mind."**

 **They went to the mess hall and were sitting with their food, enjoying each other's company, when Charley said, "I think there's a ghost living with us."**

 **Tully swallowed his bite of hotdog. "Why would you think that?"**

" **I was putting my boots on this morning and noticed that one of the coloring books and pencils were on the table after I know I put them on the shelf in the closet. Oh, and the first page had been colored in … rather neatly too, I might add."**

" **Oh … that."**

 **Charley looked at him over her mug of tea. "Have trouble sleeping last night?"**

 **Tully sighed. "I woke up for some reason and couldn't get back to sleep. Started out I thought I'd read one of the newspapers from home … but then I saw the books and pencils your aunt sent. I remembered what she'd said in her letter about it having a calming effect and thought I'd give it a try."**

 **Charley smiled slightly. "Did it work?"**

" **By the time I'd finished that page I could hardly keep my eyes open. Got back in bed and went right to sleep."**

" **Good. When I was a kid, I thought coloring books had some magical connection to the sandman because they had a way of putting me to sleep. Glad to hear the magic lives on."**


End file.
